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UFS hosts IASIA 2024 Conference on Public Administration

24 July 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Born2shoot

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted the esteemed International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) 2024 Conference. This notable event was organised by the UFS Department of Public Administration and Management, bringing together 280 academics, researchers, students, and practitioners to delve into the theme, Alternative Service Delivery and Sustainable Societal Responsiveness.

The relevance of this theme aligns with the Global and Africa Agendas 2030 and 2063, emphasising the need for a transformative dynamic to ensure that no one is left behind. The conference addressed the roles and challenges faced by public institutions, governments at all levels, public servants, and citizens worldwide. It highlighted the importance of managing uncertainties, challenges, and expectations in an era of complex reforms.

The conference featured a diverse and distinguished line-up of speakers, including Dr Najat Zarrouk, President of IASIA; Dr Sofiane Sahraoui, Director General of IASIA; Dr Ra’ed Benshams, President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS); Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal; and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, former Minister of Public Service and Administration of South Africa.

Advancing excellence

IASIA is dedicated to strengthening administrative capacity worldwide, advancing excellence in public administration education and training, and fostering the dissemination of innovative scholarly research and practices in governance and administration. The key objectives of the conference are to promote the exchange of knowledge on the evolution of public administration theory and practice and to facilitate comparative studies and the development of public administration theory. In addition, it aims to encourage innovation in ideas, methods, and techniques in public administration; strengthen the dialogue between academics and practitioners; as well as to develop and consolidate a community of public administration experts open to contributions from young researchers and public officials.

Sustainable solutions

“Hosting the IASIA Conference was pivotal for addressing sustainable solutions to service delivery challenges in the public sector, both globally and within the South African context. It provided a valuable platform for international exposure and networking for the UFS Department of Public Administration and Management, the broader UFS community, the Free State Provincial Government, and the South African as well as the global public administration and management fraternity,” said Prof Liezel Lues, UFS Professor of Public Administration and Management and rapporteur of the IASIA conference.

“It also included practitioners from South African universities and various public sector stakeholders, aligning with Vision 130's goal of making a significant social impact by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions to local and global challenges,” she added.

Exploring the future of public service

A significant focus of the conference was exploring alternative service delivery models aimed at enhancing efficiency, responsiveness, inclusiveness, collaboration, co-production, and accountability. Public institutions and governments worldwide are grappling with numerous complex challenges, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, rapid urbanisation, climate change, inequality, youth disorientation, migration, and the digital revolution. These challenges have led to a critical lack of trust in public institutions and growing dissatisfaction with government performance.

Embracing alternative service delivery

Traditional government models have often struggled to meet citizens' needs and address these multifaceted issues. The conference highlighted the emergence of alternative service delivery models, emphasising the need to open public services to other actors and stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society organisations, and community groups. This approach seeks to enhance public service delivery through collaboration and innovation, ultimately striving to build a more responsive and sustainable society.

Click to view document Please click here to scan the QR code with the IASIA app for more information about the conference.

Watch the conference highlights video

News Archive

Faculty of Education hosts global education conference

2015-11-09

The Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State hosted the Annual conference of the South African Education Research Association (SAERA). From the left are Profs André Keet, Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, Sechaba Mahlomaholo, Dean: Faculty of Education, Carlos Torres, keynote speaker and Professor of Social Sciences and Comparative Education, and former Director of the UCLA-Latin American Center, and Azlam Fataar, SAERA president.

National and global issues, trends, and research were discussed at the annual conference of the South African Education Research Association (SAERA), hosted by the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State.

Considered as the highlight for educators, education researchers, and education policy makers, this conference is linked directly to the World Education Research Association (WERA), and to the American Education Research Association (AERA).

More than 400 delegates from national and international universities, as well as other interest groups such as the Department of Higher Education and Training of South Africa, have submitted abstracts on a variety of topics, spanning the different disciplines in education.

Keynote Speaker, Prof Carlos Torres, Professor of Social Sciences and Comparative Education, and former Director of the UCLA-Latin American Center, explained the importance of global citizenship education.

“The requirements to enable global citizenship education are clarification, bare essentials, principles, teaching methods, and agents. Global citizenship education is an intervention in search of a theory.”

Prof Torres's areas of theoretical research focus on the relationship between culture and power, the interrelationships of economic, political, and cultural spheres, and the multiple and contradictory dynamics of power among, and within, social movements that make education a site of permanent conflict and struggle.

Prof Teboho Moja, policy researcher and policy analyst for higher education in South Africa, spoke enthusiastically about changes taking place currently in higher education, changes that are driven by the recent demands of university students. Her keynote address dealt with equality and equity in higher education in South Africa.

“This conference is taking place whilst ‘something’ is happening in South Africa. This ‘something’ had to happen to achieve equity in higher education. Recent events on campuses left me proud to see the unity amongst students. Will the next phase in transformation and reform see that the doors of learning will be opened to all, as stated in the Freedom Charter?”

Prof Moja has authored articles on higher education reform issues in areas such as the governance of higher education, policy processes, and impact of globalisation on higher education.

“Hosting a conference of this magnitude validated the research work of the Faculty of Education in particular. It also positioned the Faculty positively in the national and international conversations around education research and gave the Faculty the opportunity to showcase its research, teaching, community engagement, and most importantly its organisational skills,” said Prof Sechaba Mahlomaholo, Dean of the Faculty of Education. According to Prof Mahlomaholo, staff (academic and support) in the Faculty have benefited greatly from listening to and networking with outstanding scholars from across the broad spectrum of education disciplines in the world. “These scholars also role modelled excellence in education research, which both our students and academic staff are now working towards emulating and surpassing,” he said.

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